Such a domineering and aloof man actually acting coquettish before her, saying “I missed my wife” – the Empress couldn’t help but laugh softly, though deep in her heart she felt somewhat envious of Qin Yining.

Setting aside whether Qin Yining’s wifely virtues were lacking, in Pang Xiao’s eyes she would always be the wife who had weathered storms alongside him from the beginning. Moreover, she was born so beautiful, had borne him a pair of twins, and later lost both children and family members because of Pang Xiao.

Pang Xiao was a passionate man who valued relationships deeply. For such a beautiful woman who had sacrificed so much for him, even setting aside romantic love, gratitude alone would be enough to bind him for life. What’s more, when a man feels indebted to a woman, he will treat her even better to compensate.

However, the Empress understood in her heart that all these feelings depended on having a devoted man with a sense of justice. If it were someone fickle – not to mention distant examples, just look at the Emperor – even disdaining one’s humble wife was something beyond remedy.

As these thoughts flashed through the Empress’s mind, she suppressed the bitterness welling up in her heart and smiled. “You’ve only been apart a few days, yet you miss your wife so terribly? When you were campaigning on battlefields, I never saw you thinking only of your wife.” Her tone was relaxed and intimate, like an ordinary family’s sister-in-law talking to her brother-in-law.

In the Empress’s heart, her deepest memories were still of the age when Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu called her “sister-in-law.”

Pang Xiao laughed. “Who says I didn’t miss her? Even if I missed her then, there was nothing I could do about it. Now that Your Majesty is here, there’s room for negotiation, so I’ve come shamelessly to ask. Your Majesty, please take pity on this subject. At such a young age, I’m already experiencing frequent separations from my Yining. How about lending her to me for a few days? If you miss her, at worst she can come accompany you during the day and return home at night.”

His words were such that if the Empress didn’t agree, it would seem like she was bullying the young couple.

Moreover, Pang Xiao smiled so brilliantly with that handsome face of his, acting coquettish like he was pleading with a close sister-in-law. Such entreaty was truly impossible for the Empress to refuse.

Looking at Qin Yining standing gracefully to the side, then seeing Pang Xiao’s affectionate glances toward her from time to time, the Empress felt increasingly envious. Thinking of her own cold, lonely palace and Li Qitian’s indifference toward her, the Empress felt another wave of bitterness and slight jealousy toward Qin Yining.

However, a thought soon flashed through the Empress’s mind.

If she, an outsider, felt this way, what if Earl Zhongyi saw Pang Xiao’s deep affection for Qin Yining, and Qin Yining saw Bian Ruohan’s adoration for Earl Zhongyi? Their hearts would probably feel even more sour. Then perhaps they would give up their thoughts about each other. This way, she would have completed her task – regardless of the outcome, she as Empress wouldn’t be completely ignoring Consort Zhuang and Bian Ruohan’s requests.

Thinking of this, the Empress felt much more cheerful and smiled. “Very well, you young couple – how could I keep playing the ‘Queen Mother’? Later I’ll have them prepare a vegetarian banquet. After we dine together, you can take your wife home.”

Pang Xiao had known the Empress would agree, but still joyfully cupped his hands in salute. “Many thanks, Your Majesty!”

His foolish boy appearance made the Empress laugh heartily. She then called Nanny Sun to her side and whispered a few words in her ear.

“Yes, this servant will see to it immediately.” Nanny Sun bowed and quickly withdrew.

Everyone assumed the Empress was instructing Nanny Sun to prepare the vegetarian banquet.

When the Empress granted permission to sit, Qin Yining noticed that Consort Zhuang had also silently followed them in. Consort Zhuang had been standing in some corner earlier, and having come without the Empress’s summons, couldn’t approach the Empress’s side directly. But given her status as an imperial consort, she also couldn’t sit at the lowest seat.

Seeing Consort Zhuang being so proactive, the Empress naturally guessed her thoughts and felt quite displeased.

Because Consort Zhuang had brought Bian Ruohan to complain tearfully, the Empress had already been placed in the middle of others’ domestic affairs, troubled for so long. She had just managed to think of a solution with a flash of inspiration, yet Consort Zhuang still had the audacity to follow?

If no outsiders were present, the Empress would certainly have reprimanded Consort Zhuang. But in front of Pang Xiao and Qin Yining, she couldn’t be too harsh to Consort Zhuang’s face. She gave her a warning look and said mildly, “Consort Zhuang, please sit beside me.”

That look from the Empress sent chills down Consort Zhuang’s spine, making her regret following them in. But since the Empress hadn’t embarrassed her publicly, she felt slightly relieved. Moreover, she wanted to see how the Empress planned to handle Qin Yining’s matter, so she obediently bowed in thanks and sat in the seat below the Empress’s right side.

The Empress paid no more attention to Consort Zhuang, only chatting with Qin Yining and Pang Xiao about household matters.

The Empress and Pang Xiao had known each other early on, getting along like family in earlier years. With Li Qitian not present, they could speak without considering so many political conflicts. Reminiscing about past events together, they conversed quite warmly.

Their familiar manner made Consort Zhuang unconsciously purse her lips tightly.

With such a good relationship between the Empress and Pang Xiao, would she still punish Pang Xiao’s wife? If Qin Shi couldn’t be dealt with on the spot, where would the Bian family’s dignity go?

Consort Zhuang subconsciously looked toward Qin Yining.

How acute Qin Yining was – the survival instincts developed from living in the wilderness still existed, making her very sensitive to gazes from people or animals. She immediately sensed Consort Zhuang’s stare and smiled back at her.

Because Consort Zhuang was preoccupied with her thoughts, when she met Qin Yining’s gaze she instinctively looked away. Only after averting her eyes did she realize she had done nothing wrong – the one who should feel guilty was Qin Yining. What did she have to hide from?

Thinking this, Consort Zhuang righteously glared back, only to see Pang Xiao casually hand Qin Yining some peeled peanuts, then grab more peanuts from the table, peeling them while chatting with the Empress. His attitude was so natural, as if serving his wife snacks was perfectly natural.

Consort Zhuang had never received such treatment. For a moment she felt both envious and jealous, and even more sorry for Pang Xiao. He treated Qin Shi so well, yet she had already strayed from their marriage!

“Your Majesty, Earl Zhongyi and his wife have arrived,” a palace servant announced with a smile.

The Empress instinctively glanced at Qin Yining from the corner of her eye. “Let them enter.”

The Empress’s look wasn’t particularly friendly, containing some suspicion and scrutiny. Qin Yining immediately noticed.

What was happening today? Both Consort Zhuang and the Empress were looking at her with such expressions!

Qin Yining immediately felt an inexplicable anger rise within her, but given her position, she couldn’t express it.

Pang Xiao’s relaxed expression from chatting and laughing with the Empress also turned serious. His incomparably handsome face grew taut, showing extreme displeasure. He carelessly tossed the peanuts back into the dish, shells and all, the sound of them hitting the porcelain dish crisp and clear, like knocking on people’s hearts.

The Empress looked toward Pang Xiao and pressed her lips together.

They had been chatting so pleasantly just moments ago, but now the atmosphere had plummeted to freezing point. This disparity truly made her heart feel blocked.

The Empress glanced sideways at the culprit Consort Zhuang, feeling even more stifled.

Lu Heng and Bian Ruohan walked forward one after the other and bowed together.

“This subject (subject’s wife) pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress.”

“Rise, please be seated.” The Empress collected herself.

Palace servants brought chairs, and Lu Heng and Bian Ruohan sat according to their ranks on the other side, directly facing Pang Xiao and Qin Yining.

Bian Ruohan wore a light pink brocade jacket embroidered with twining grape patterns and a red pomegranate-cluster court flower in her hair, dressed both delicately and gorgeously.

Knowing she would see Qin Yining at the villa, she had deliberately dressed this way to avoid losing face. With Qin Yining in plain clothes, she purposely went the opposite direction – she simply didn’t want to lose to Qin Yining in front of anyone.

Especially when Her Majesty the Empress already knew of Qin Yining’s lacking wifely virtue.

On the way here, she had been speculating whether the Empress had specifically summoned them as a couple to punish Qin Yining.

If so, she absolutely couldn’t lose to her in appearance!

After Lu Heng and Bian Ruohan arrived, the relaxed atmosphere from the Empress’s earlier chat with Pang Xiao and Qin Yining completely disappeared. The Empress spoke mostly with Lu Heng about local rainfall and the people’s food problems.

With such topics, the atmosphere inevitably became heavy.

The Empress was very worried. In these times, natural disasters and human calamities occurred frequently. Ji Zeyu had finally repelled the Tatars, and the realm had barely stabilized when such disasters arose again. Having lived through hardship herself, the Empress was even more unwilling to see the people continue suffering. She worried for the people, and her desire to pray for their welfare was very sincere.

So discussing these matters made her mood increasingly oppressed.

Because of the tense atmosphere, Bian Ruohan wanted several times to secretly ask Consort Zhuang about progress, but seeing the atmosphere was wrong, she didn’t dare approach.

Fortunately, Nanny Sun came in with a smile to report: “Your Majesty, the vegetarian banquet is ready. Shall I have them serve the meal now?”

“Mm.” The Empress nodded with a smile.

Qin Yining was wondering where they would dine when she saw Nanny Sun leading palace servants bringing in several long tables.

One long table was placed in front of the Empress in the seat of honor, one in front of Consort Zhuang, and two others placed left and right – one for Qin Yining and Pang Xiao, one for Lu Heng and Bian Ruohan.

Then palace servants and maids carried in black lacquered mother-of-pearl food boxes, and soon the tables were filled with aromatic, colorful vegetarian dishes.

The Empress smiled. “In this rainy weather, even my bones ache, and I’m too lazy to move about. Since we’re all not outsiders here, let’s dine together in this place.”

Both Lu Heng and Pang Xiao smiled and said, “This subject is honored.”

With this seating arrangement, men and women didn’t sit separately, which pleased Qin Yining as she didn’t have to interact with Bian Ruohan alone. Just as she picked up her chopsticks, Pang Xiao had already served many dishes onto her plate.

“You’ve lost quite a bit of weight these past days. Eat more.”

Qin Yining’s heart warmed as she smiled. “You eat more too.”

Pang Xiao nodded with a smile.

In others’ eyes, Pang Xiao was a domineering, cold-hearted hero – who could imagine such a person had this tender side? Before Qin Yining, he was like a lion with retracted claws, a docile house cat. Though the couple didn’t speak much more, observing the rule of silence during meals, they frequently served each other dishes they found tasty, then shared smiling glances. Such scenes were warm and sweet, clearly showing this was how they always interacted in daily life.